A Highland City woman is accused of stabbing another person in the abdomen at a home near Banana Lake Road and Clubhouse Road early Sunday, October 4. Polk County Sheriff's Office deputies arrived at about 2:21 a.m. Investigators say the stabbing followed an argument at a late-night gathering.
The sheriff's office identified the woman arrested as 35-year-old Tahler Lynn Weems of Highland City, saying she is accused of trying to fatally stab another person. The Tampa Free Press, citing investigators, reported that people at the gathering had been drinking heavily and that the dispute began after Weems knocked a hat off the alleged victim's head.
Hat Dispute Escalates Into Stabbing
According to the investigators' account reported by the Tampa Free Press, Weems picked up a knife and swung it at the victim during the argument. The victim raised a tray as a shield; the knife broke the tray before the blade struck the victim in the abdomen.
The Tampa Free Press also reported that Weems gave inconsistent statements during questioning and denied knowing about a knife. Deputies arrested her after responding to the stabbing call and took her to the sheriff's processing center.
What the Charge Could Mean Under Florida Law
Weems faces a charge of attempted second-degree murder, which is classified as a first-degree felony. Under Florida law, a person who attempts to perpetrate certain felonies and commits an intentional act that could, but does not, cause another person's death commits a first-degree felony, according to Florida Statute 782.051.
More broadly, Florida law defines criminal attempt as taking an act toward committing an offense but failing to complete it, or being intercepted or prevented, per the 2026 Florida Statutes. That same statute generally ranks a criminal attempt one level below the offense attempted for sentencing purposes, subject to statutory exceptions. Records related to the case may eventually become available through the Polk County Clerk's Criminal and Traffic Records system.
How to Follow the Case
The Polk County Clerk says its court-records portals provide access to case dockets, filed documents, court dates and other case information, allowing the public to check for later developments.
